Ruler.



No. 719,257. PATENTBD JAN. 27 1903.

T. RAMSAY.

' RULER. APPLICATION FILED 06122 1901. RENEWED NOV. 26, 1902. I0 MODEL.

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1 ATENT THOMAS RAMSAY, OF INVERCARGILL, NEW ZEALAND.

SEECIFICATJLON forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,257, dated January27, 1903.

Application filed October 22, 1901. Renewed November 26, 1902. serialNo. 132,949. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS RAMSAY, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and a resident of Iuvercargill, Southland, New Zealand, haveinvented a new and useful Im provement in Rulers, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to rulers used in ruling and measuring paper andfor analogous purposes.

My invention relates more particularly to that type of rulers in whichthere are two members, together forming a square.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of my device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionof the left-hand end of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectionon the line a: as of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation showing thetriangular wedgeshaped end used as a square. Figs. 5 and 6 showmodifications in the material used for the ruler proper. Fig. 7 is aview somewhat similar to Fig. 5, and Fig. 8 shows a modification in thelocation of the scale employed.

1 is a longitudinal tube of thick glass, provided at one of its ends 4with an internal threaded portion 3, into which screws a plug carryingthe part 2. The object of placing these two members together in this wayis to form a square, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1. The part 2need not be attached unless desired, the cylindrical member having ashape as shown in Fig. 6 when that form is preferable. The glass tubemay be provided externally with longitudinal lines or corrugations 5, asshown in Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 7, or these lines may be placed upon theinternal circumference of the tube, as shown in Fig. 8. The tube isclosed by a plug 6, provided with an annular aperture or recess 7 forthe purpose of holding an adhesive material, such as plaster-of-paris,and thereby securing the plug firmlyin position. Through the plug thereextends a pivot 8, rigidly secured thereto and provided with a head 9.Upon the plug there is freely mounted a pendent needle or indicatorhaving the general shape of an anchor 10 and provided with abearing-band 12, which moves freely upon the pivot. The lower end ofthis indicatoris quite heavy and normally hangs in the position shown inFig. 3. The upper part of the indicator is provided with a sharp point13 for the purpose of showing the center of the ruler.

In the form shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 a cylinder 11 of hard wood isused instead of the long glass tube. In this case one end of the woodencylinder is reduced and provided with an inner aperture or recess forreceiving the adhesive material, thus making the plug 6 integral withthe body of the ruler proper, 11. Then this form is used, the end of theshort glass tube 14 is closed by the glass disk 12,as shown moreparticularly in Figs. 5 and 7.

It will thus be seen that no matter which form is used there is acylindrical drum-like hollow at the end of the ruler and that thishollow is a part of a transparent tube provided with graduations.

My invention is used as follows: When a square is needed, the part 2 isscrewed in the part 1, as shown in Fig. 1, and the device is used as anyother square. When it is desired to rule paper, however, or to use thedevice for any purpose for which a cylindrical ruler is ordinarilyemployed, the part 2 is either taken out or merely allowed to hang overthe edge of the table, as the case may be, and the operator taking holdof the cylindrical body 1 or 11 turns the same with the usual rotarymotion, so as to roll the cylinder along the surface to be operatedupon. By looking down through the transparent chamber the operator cansee the indicator and by arranging the point 13 can bring the same intoa position where it will register with any one of the lines 5. Bringingthe point to register with one of these lines he can make a mark with apencil by drawing the same along the side of the ruler in the usualmanner and then by rolling the ruler a little farther along can make thepoint 13 register with the next graduation and can make another markupon the paper. Of course he can skip every other graduation, and thusmake his lines upon the paper of double distance from each other. He canalso bring the point 13 into a space equidistant between any twograduations, and can thus make lines upon the paper very close together.

The many uses to which my device can be applied will be readily apparentto persons accustomed to use rulers.

The structure can be made in a variety of ways, all coming within thenormal scope of my invention, and the device can be constructed cheaplyand readily sold as a comlnodity.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. As an article of manufacture, a ruler comprisinga cylindrical rod provided at one end with a hollow cylindrical chambercoaxial therewith and forming virtually a continuation of said rod, anda pendent indicator mounted in said hollow chamber, the point ofsupportfor said indicatorbeing coaxial with both said cylindrical rod and saidcylindrical chamber.

2. As an article of manufacture, a ruler consisting of a cylindricalmember provided with a transparent chamber, and a pendent indicatorinclosed by said transparent chamber and suspended from a point in linewith the geometrical axis of said cylindrical memher.

3. As an article of manufacture, a ruler comprising a cylindrical memberprovided at one end with a hollow cylindrical chamber coaxial therewithand forming virtually a continuation of said member, said chamber beingprovided with a circular scale concentric with the axis of saidcylindrical member, and

a pendent indicator mounted in said cham- 35 ber and supported from apoint located centrally therein.

. 4. As an article of manufacture, a ruler comprising a cylindricalmember provided with cylindrical ends, one of which is hollow andcontains an indicator and a scale, the other being provided withscrew-threads, an arm provided with a threaded member for engaging thethreaded end of said cylindrical member, said arm and said cylindricalmember together forming a square.

5. As an article of manufacture, a ruler comprising a cylindrical memberhaving a hollow end provided with longitudinal graduations, a memberfitting into said hollow end and provided centrally with a pivot, and apendent indicator mounted upon said pivot, substantially as specified.

6. As an article of manufacture, a ruler comprising a cylindrical memberprovided with a hollow end, a member fitting said end and provided witha recess for containing an adhesive material, a pivot mounted upon saidmember, and a pendent indicator mounted freely upon said pivot,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS RAMSAY.

Witnesses:

MATTHIAS THOMAS, JOHN RooNEY.

